Jim McNulty - Fairmont, Minnesota

Jim McNulty – Colorful Manager of the Fairmont Martins of the 1950s
Before the Minnesota Twins, interleague play, and the astronomical salaries of today’s
professional baseball players, there was something called “Town Ball.” The Fairmont
Martins of the 1950s epitomized the “Town Ball” era as their “Boys of Summer” built
somewhat of a dynasty winning state championships in 1954, 1955, 1957, and 1959.
Their manager through much of the 1950s was a former Brooklyn, New York, native
named Jim McNulty. A previous member of the Brooklyn Dodger organization, McNulty,
the colorful second baseman and manager, spent thirteen seasons playing a significant
role in Minnesota town team baseball. He arrived in Minnesota in 1948 spending three
summers in Fergus Falls and one summer with Estherville in the Iowa State League.
From Estherville he went to Fairmont and carved out 197 regular season wins, six
pennants, and five playoff championships in the Western Minnesota and Southern
Minnesota Leagues, at that time considered the state’s two premier leagues.
McNulty’s baseball career began on the streets of Brooklyn, New York, playing “sewerto-sewer
ball,” a form of stickball. He eventually became a baseball star in high school
earning all city as well as all state recognition in soccer. He quit school and enlisted in
the Marines. While in the military, he participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima. McNulty
played on a Marine divisional team where he met Dick Durrell, a Minnesota native who
was eventually influential in his coming to Minnesota.
McNulty wanted to play professional baseball; however, after an unsuccessful tryout
with the New York Giants, he decided to enroll at Colgate University. At that same time,
the Brooklyn Dodgers offered him a signing bonus of $1,800.00 to play in their
organization. He accepted and thus began his professional career in the Class D
Georgia-Florida League earning a salary of $125.00 a month plus a couple of dollars
daily for meal money.
He had limited success in the minor leagues; consequently, he decided to come to
Minnesota in 1948 following a telephone conversation with his Marine friend, Dick
Durrell. He was offered a position with the Fergus Falls Red Sox in the North Central
Minnesota League. His first game in Elbow Lake was quite a culture shock for the
Brooklyn native.
Eventually the North Central Minnesota League collapsed, and McNulty then spent a
year managing Estherville of the Iowa State League. The Martins at that time had just
finished their first season in the Western Minnesota League with a very disappointing
13-22 record. They contacted McNulty and offered him a contract to become their

player/manager for $300.00 a month. He accepted, and in addition was provided a
sporting goods sales position in a local store. He also eventually purchased a bar and
restaurant he named the “Martin’s Nest” located in the 700 block or North North
Avenue. McNultey’s life at that time, although not exactly the major leagues he had
hoped for, seemed to be sailing along quite smoothly.
McNulty was known as a winner, but his skill in recruiting players was also impressive.
He recruited more than two dozen professional players, many with Triple A experience,
in addition to several players with major league credentials such as Pittsburgh shortstop
Grady Wilson, Hank Workman, and Cleveland outfielder Milt Nielsen. The Martins
under McNulty won two Western Minnesota titles before moving to the Southern
Minnesota League in 1955. They won the 1955 Southern Minny pennant, playoffs, and
Little World Series. They finished second in 1956, they won the 1957 Southern
Minnesota title, and in 1958 they won the pennant but lost to Austin in the playoffs. In
1959 they won the Southern Minny pennant again.
By 1960, the quality of competition had diminished, the players were playing for a share
of the gate, and the Minnesota Twins would soon become Minnesota’s baseball team.
It was obvious that things were rapidly changing regarding what was known as “Town
Ball.” To quote one of Yogi Berra’s eloquent yogi-isms that might be relevant to this
time, “The future ain’t what it used to be.” 1 McNulty moved to the Twin Cities and
remained in Minnesota for three more years. However, as a result of financial
problems, he returned to Brooklyn where he drove a taxi for a time before establishing a
limousine service. He later retired to the Poconos in Pennsylvania. He passed away in
2011.
A number of the “Boys of Summer” from that golden era of the 1950s Fairmont Martins
still live in this area including Bill Dudding, Don Dahlke, and Harry Pritts. They recall
that era and Jim McNulty with many fond memories. Bill Dudding, former Martin’s
second baseman now living in Bancroft, Iowa, is quoted as saying the following about
the late Jim McNulty: “He was a fun manager to play for and he expected us to win –
and we did!” Former Martins pitcher and Fairmont resident Harry Pritts says, “Jim
McNulty was as good a manager as I’ve ever played for and one of the best competitors
ever.” Another Fairmont resident that played shortstop for McNulty, Don Dahlke, said,
“He was always a players’ manager. He took care of his players very well.”
The Jim McNulty era had a lasting effect on Fairmont and Martin County. Many of
those athletes that came to play for the Martins stayed in Fairmont and Martin County,
raised families here, and contributed to the local area in many positive ways.
1 http://www.yogiberra.com/yogi-isms.html

I would like to acknowledge “Town Ball – The Glory Days of Minnesota Amateur
Baseball” authored by Armand Peterson and Tom Tomashek as the primary resource
for this article.
For more information on this topic, and to see a copy of “Town Ball” autographed by Jim
McNulty, visit the Pioneer Museum in Fairmont.

1957 Fairmont Martins – front row, L to R: Harry Pritts (LHP), Myron Hoffman (RHP), Don Dahlke (3B), Dick Eaton (1B), Milt
Nielsen (OF), Herb Banton (OF), Jim McNulty (2B, mgr). Back row, L to R: Ken Staples (C), Ken Yackel (OF), Loyal Bloxam
(RHP), Bill Dudding (C, 2B), Gordy Figard (SS).

Professional experience (highest classification)
Name Highest Class Team League Year Home state
Pritts AA New Orleans Southern Association 1954 Pennsylvania
Hoffman AA New Orleans Southern Association 1956 Pennsylvania
Dahlke Open Hollywood Pacific Coast League 1955 Iowa
Eaton A Albany, NY Eastern League 1955 Ohio
Nielsen Majors Cleveland American League 1951 Minnesota
Banton AA Mobile Southern Association 1954 Virginia
McNulty C Greenwood, MS Cotton States League 1949 New York
Staples AA Fort Worth Texas League 1954 Minnesota
Yackel * Minnesota
Bloxam A Denver Western League 1954 California
Dudding -- Iowa
Figard AAA Buffalo International League 1959 California
* -- Yackel was one of the most versatile athletes in Minnesota history – he earned four letters in hockey at the U of M, two in
football, and three in baseball. He played on the Silver-medal winning USA hockey team in the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, and
briefly with the Boston Bruins in the NHL in 1959.